Good news/Bad news for Stuyvesant’s Ferry Road

I’ll start with the good news: the state’s Department of Transportation has decided not to demolish historic homes along Ferry Road in Stuyvesant.

When I wrote about the neighborhood in September, the DOT was still threatening to raze the neighborhood because of its concerns about an unguarded train crossing at the head of Ferry Road. The DOT has since decided that a stoplight at the head of the road will suffice, and has announced that it “is no longer considering options that would include acquisitions of occupied buildings.”

That thrilled residents of the three occupied houses along the road. But the good feelings were short lived — and here’s the bad news — because the homes have this week suffered significant flood damage related to Sandy.

“Our house smells like the Hudson at low tide. What a mess,” writes John Hutchinson, photo right, who lives along the roadway and was one of the more vocal demolition opponents. (Hutchinson blames the flooding on the decision to release water from the Mohawk.)

Ferry Road’s direct access to the Hudson is one of its great charms. In fact, generations of Columbia County locals have gone fishing and swimming there. But that access also makes the neighborhood very vulnerable.

Hutchinson, in fact, says the water’s Sandy-related rise means he’ll have to tear out his home’s beautiful hardwood floors.